Note: Please call the store before dropping off donations. Some stores may allow donations only on certain days or hours.
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia, and there is simply no dearth of donation and charity bins in the emerald city. We found over 780 charity bins around the Sydney metropolitan area, making up about 30% of the national total. From Salvos to Vinnies, Australian Red Cross, Save the Children and more, there’s a charity bin in almost every block and for almost every cause and purpose.
Out of the 658 suburbs in Sydney, 472 have at least one or more charity bins – that’s over 71% of the entire city! Some of the popular suburbs like Asquith, Balgowlah, Blacktown, Bondi Beach, Brookvale, Campsie, Hornsby, Lane Cove, Liverpool, Marrickville, Newtown, Randwick and West Ryde have over a dozen charity bins. Clearly, Sunnysiders have a lot of convenient options to donate their preloved items.
As the bins are operated by different charity organisations, the list of acceptable items varies. That said, almost all bins accept clothing, shoes, handbags and other accessories that are in good condition. Some bins may also accept books, toys and small homeware items as long as they fit inside the bin. Torn, stained or excessively worn items should not be donated as they can’t be resold or reused.
For a more detailed list of what each bin accepts, select the desired donation bin to find the list of acceptable items.
Also, never leave the items outside the bin if you find it full, as it constitutes illegal dumping, which is an offence.
The donation bins are located in public spaces, such as shopping centres, car parks, schools, council sites and churches. Some bins are also placed outside the op shop of the organisation managing the bin.
Bins in public locations are usually accessible 24/7, but some places may restrict entry beyond working hours.
In most cases, the donated items are sorted and sold at the op store of the organisation at affordable prices. Sometimes the items might even be donated to other local charities, homeless shelters or needy individuals. The proceeds and profit from the sales are used to fund the organisation’s initiatives and sometimes to generate employment opportunities. So you must pat your back because your preloved secondhand items don’t end up in the landfill and indirectly contribute to a good cause.